Famed couturier Jeanne Lanvin is best known for her elegant designs and flair for French femininity. At the heart of her inspiration was her love for her daughter, who was also her muse. CLEO finds out more about the signature Lanvin fragrances that symbolise the ideals of love.
Famed couturier Jeanne Lanvin is best known for her elegant designs and flair for French femininity. At the heart of her inspiration was her love for her daughter, who was also her muse. CLEO finds out more about the signature Lanvin fragrances that symbolise the ideals of love.
Say the name “Lanvin” and what immediately comes to mind are the stunning, flowing gowns that are the heritage of femininity and elegance. Indeed, we have legendary French couturier Jeanne Lanvin to thank for creating a lasting legacy of sartorial excellence that continues to inspire generations of women.
The oldest French fashion house still in activity, Lanvin is, more than any other, marked by the motif of heritage. This theme has been omnipresent from the very first designs to the latest creations. Among these creations, one perfume distills the essence of the house codes: Éclat d’Arpège, a fragrance which, like no other, tells the story of the ties of filiation. A milliner at the start of her career, Jeanne Lanvin began by creating clothing for her daughter, Marguerite, whose outfits soon caught the attention of others. After dressing other little girls, and finally their mothers, Jeanne Lanvin founded her house of fashion in 1909. This was the beginning of a success story with love and heritage as leitmotifs.
But even as Jeanne Lanvin was busy breaking rules in the world of couture and fashion, one traditional role that she firmly held on to was that of being a mother to her beloved daughter, Marguerite. Fans of the brand may know that Lanvin’s logo, featuring a silhouette of a woman and a child, is actually inspired by a photograph of Jeanne Lanvin with her daughter. For an even more enduring and sensorial reminder of the bond between mother and child, look no further than Lanvin’s Éclat d'Arpège range of perfumes.
Scent of a Woman
In 1927, Jeanne Lanvin created the legendary Arpège for Marguerite’s 30th birthday. A music enthusiast, Marguerite named the scent Arpège, for the musical term arpeggio. It immediately became an icon of the fashion house, with women around the world loving it both for its scent as well as the symbol of maternal love that it represented.
Years later, in 2002, this iconic scent was reintroduced to the house of Lanvin with the creation of Éclat d'Arpège, inspired by the unconditional bond of love between Jeanne Lanvin and Marguerite. A delicate and bright perfume, Éclat d'Arpège combines the freshness of lilac green with the sharpness of Sicilian lemon leaves before leading into satin soft wisteria flowers, subtle green tea leaves and sensual notes of peach flowers. Its sillage, an unforgettable combination of white cedar of Lebanon and sweet musks, unfolds gently to linger on in the memories of those who are lucky enough to encounter its captivating alchemy. Needless to say, this scent became a worldwide success and is today the best-selling perfume in the Lanvin fragrance portfolio.
To pay homage to Jeanne Lanvin’s original scent, the new Éclat d'Arpège is bottled in the famous spherical bottle that was used for Arpège. The jewelled bottle is crowned with a clip and topped with a white diamond. Two metal rings adorn the bottle – a fitting symbol of the priceless love shared between two people for eternity.
The Men Do Get It
In 2015, to complement the luminous floral scent of the women’s fragrance, Éclat d’Arpège Pour Homme was launched. This stylish modern composition captures the virile essence of today’s man and his naturally magnetic appeal. In a reflection of the elegance of Lanvin fashion, with its clear yet stylish cuts and refined materials, the fragrance is invigorating and sensual all at once, with its classic blend of vibrant and woody notes.
Luminous in a cocktail of Italian citruses, bergamot, mandarin and lemon open the fragrance before the sophisticated heart notes of crisp violet leaves combine with rosemary essence. The masculine characteristics of the fragrance are expressed in the woody base notes of vibrant blue cedarwood accord and transparent musks.
Spring Has Sprung
Today, the Éclat d’Arpège mythology is expanded once more with Éclat de Fleurs, whose bouquet conjures up the euphoria of a sunny stroll filled with flowers and joy. It is the subtle expression of a new facet of femininity that is full of freshness and spontaneity - with this fragrance, the sophisticated aroma of flowers are combined with the tangy scent of fruits to evoke memories of frolicking among the flowers on a beautiful spring afternoon.
Anne Flipo and Nicolas Beaulieu of International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) explain, “At its creation was a vision of a field of wild flowers seemingly taken right from an impressionist painting. The image of a green prairie flecked with coloured petals warming themselves in the light of the sun elicits a veritable floral explosion.”
With a scent as captivating as Éclat de Fleurs, there is no doubt that Lanvin is set to embark on a brand new exploration of the varying facets of femininity, while still embodying the ideals of love in its purest form. We’re certain Jeanne Lanvin would have approved.
